A Surprising Alliance
by Lulubird
Summary: The story of an unlikely friendship between Clove and Foxface. Femslash, Clove/Foxface. In character and follows the plot. Please read and review. Note: Foxface is called Finch in this story. Previously called The Career and the Wood Nymph
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is an In Character and In Plot fic about a friendship, and something more, between Clove and Foxface (who I have named Finch). It completely fits with the actual storyline. Next chapter and in future chapters there is smut, so be warned (or turned on, either way). And please please review. -Lu  
**

**CHAPTER ONE**

**CLOVE  
**

Blood rained from the sky. Clove crashed through the undergrowth. The vines that tangled around her ankles appeared as snakes in her venom ridden mind. As she crashed to the ground in their midst they opened their mouths and hissed at her, revealing fresh venom dripping like diamonds from their fangs. She couldn't help it, she screamed. Three of the snakes sunk their teeth into her leg and searing pain spread from their bites. She tried to kick at them furiously but the effects of the tracker jacker venom began to take over her mind. As one of the snakes wound around her neck and hissed in her ear everything went black.

**FINCH  
**

She heard the shouts of the Careers from her hideout and froze instinctively. She distinctly heard Cato's furious bellowing and tensed herself for flight, but his shouts grew more distant. Still, it would probably be safer to change location. As she was creeping from the mouth of the burrow she had formed a new noise met her ears and she froze again. It was a person, crashing through the undergrowth. It wasn't Cato though, too small. Just as Finch was about to take flight in the opposite direction a panicked scream ripped through the air. Her head whipped around. She didn't recognise it but it was clearly a girl, probably one of the Careers. There was another scream. The panic and pure terror made her feel sick. It was probably one of her enemies, someone who would kill her without a second thought, but she couldn't stand the sound of another person in such fear. Suddenly the screams stopped and then there was complete and utter silence. Were they dead?

Against all her survival instincts she found herself creeping through the trees towards where the screams had come from. Her entire body was tensed and ready to take off at the slightest hint of trouble. But as she rounded a group of bushes the sight of a body on the ground made her halt. She crouched down and watched closely, but there was no movement. She looked around the trees but there was no sign of anyone else. A canon had fired but no hovercraft had come for the body, so were they dead?

After several tense minutes of silent observation she decided to check. She might as well see if they had any food or supplies on them she could use. Her footfalls were almost silent as she padded towards the body. When she got closer she recognised the Career girl from District 2. Clove. For some reason she had taken note of the name when she heard Cato call it out across the training centre. She had been watching this girl. They were about the same size but their talents were very different and that had intrigued Finch. She was the type of person who liked to sit quietly in the corner and study people, and she had studied Clove. She hadn't been able to deduce much though. Except that she was fierce, tough and highly defensive.

She didn't look that now. She wasn't dead though. Finch could see her chest rising and falling still. Hesitantly she bent down and picked up one of Clove's knives, which had fallen beside her. She slipped the blade into her own jacket, thinking it may come in handy later. As she did she noticed the sting on Clove's arm. She immediately recognised it as a tracker jacke. So that's what the Careers had been running from, and with good reason. Finch had read about them back home and they were nasty. They tapped into your worst terrors. She tilted her head to the side and wondered what Clove's worst terrors were.

She glanced down at the other knives in Clove's jacket. Really, if she had any survival sense at all, she would take one of them and slit her throat right now. Clove would probably only come after her later, hunt her down mercilessly and take enjoyment in giving her a slow and painful death. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Something was stopping her from picking up that knife. There was logic, she understood logic, but there was almost a solid force telling her not to kill this girl. Absolutely no reason at all, but as she looked at Clove she knew she couldn't kill her.

Did she just leave her here to die? Finch couldn't be certain that she would die, she seemed to only have one sting. Quickly she made a decision and picked up all the knives she could find on Clove. She guessed she had more hidden but she couldn't do anything about those. She padded quickly through the woods and buried the knives a little distance away. At least without them it might take Clove longer to kill her later. Finch might be unable to outright kill her, but she wasn't just going to make it easy for Clove to slay her later.

She returned to the clearing to see what other supplies she could get from her. Just as she was on the edge of the treeline she glanced up and saw movement. Instinctively she dropped into a crouch and froze. She had the instincts of an animal; hide and freeze until you could assess the threat and then flee, fight if cornered, but always preferably flee. It had worked well so far.

She blinked through the strands of her hair that had come loose from the complicated braid her stylist had twisted her hair into. She tried to quieten her breathing as she watched the movement in the clearing.

**CLOVE  
**

Clove woke from the nightmare that had trapped her and stared at the canopy above for a few minutes, trying to catch her breath again and convince herself that it wasn't real. _Oh but it was real once wasn't it?_ said a mean little voice in her head. She told it to shut up.

Once she felt the heaviness of the venom dropping away from her limbs she struggled to sit up. She glanced around the clearing and froze when her gaze connected with a pair of frightened green eyes. It was the girl from District 5 and she was watching Clove anxiously, poised for fight. Clove swore and reached automatically for her knives, only to find them all gone. She stared back at the girl, who still hadn't run.

"Did you take my knives?" she called, putting more confidence into her voice than she felt. Without her blades she was scarily underarmed. She had mastered basic hand to hand combat but because of her size it had always been her weakest area. And she didn't know what the deal was with this girl. She had received a decent training score, even though she had displayed no obvious talents in training. For all Clove knew she had hidden some great fighting skill from them.

The girl stared back at her with enormous, frightened eyes, but didn't say anything. "Well, did you?" Clove demanded angrily. Slowly, cautiously, the girl nodded.

"I hid them," she called in a soft voice that shook slightly.

"I can still kill you without them you know." She hoped that she sounded threatening in that but to be honest she was quickly trying to assess where she was and what lay at her advantage. She hated going against an unknown opponent with unknown skills and weapons. She was definitely at the disadvantage.

The girl lifted slightly as if she was about to run. "Wait!" Clove called out before she knew what she was doing. Her hand flung out in front of her to calm the girl. She really needed to get her knives back. She was as good as dead without them. "Where are they?"

The girl's eyes flicked to the side slightly but she didn't run. "You'll just kill me if I tell you," she whispered.

Clove took a deep breath, trying to decide how best to play the situation. She was starting to realise this girl wasn't any threat to her, not in the sense that Clove feared. She looked absolutely terrified. If she believed Clove wouldn't hurt her, then she might return her weapons. "I won't kill you," Clove said, looking her dead in the eyes. It was something her brother had taught her. Stare people down and they almost always believe you. "I promise."

She could see that the girl didn't believe her. Smart child. But she hesitated, her eyes flicking nervously around the clearing. Something about her reminded Clove of a nervous forest animal; the way she studied the shadows of the trees for any sign of danger, the swift way she moved through the woods, the delicate, agile movements of her body. It was almost endearing.

Clove could read the deliberation in her eyes. She just needed an extra push. "I've lost my alliance," she said clearly. "I can hunt and I know where to find water. We'll live longer if we team up." She had to admit, although she was just saying it to get her weapons back, the plan had logic. She had no idea where Cato and the others were, let alone if they were still alive. Why shouldn't she team up with this frightened wood nymph? She had done something to get that 8 training score after all and she had survived this far, longer than many others. "Please," she found herself saying. It wasn't a word she had ever used very much in her life before. Normally she wasn't asking for things. If anyone was stupid enough to oppose her to begin with they soon reconsidered when a blade was pressed to their throat.

The girl turned slightly to face her. "I'm not going to tell you where they are. Not until I trust you."

Clove blinked at her as she processed the words. She felt her annoyance rising but pressed it back down. She had to make this girl unafraid of her. Flipping out wasn't going to help that. But she also realised that somewhere in that frightened bargain was an agreement. Well, looks like she had a new alliance. As she climbed to her feet she stared dubiously at that new alliance. Not one she had ever thought she'd be making. "Okay."

"Okay," the girl replied.

"I'm Clove, by the way," she said slightly sheepishly, brushing the leaves and twigs from her clothes.

"I know."

"Oh." That caught her by surprise. She looked closer at the girl. She stared back at her with sharp, analysing eyes. "So you're...?" she queried.

The girl stayed silent for a moment and Clove thought she wasn't going to answer her. "Finch," she said eventually in a small voice. Finch, how appropriate for this little creature that hopped around the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay folks this chapter gets a little smutty towards the end. Nothing too extreme though so don't cover the children's eyes.  
**

**CHAPTER TWO**

**FINCH **

Two days passed and neither of them saw a single other tribute. They heard the occasional fire of a canon, and they would share a serious glance over the clearing, but not say anything. What was there to say? Finch saw Clove look into the sky every night, looking for the faces of her allies, or maybe just Cato. She wasn't sure what their relationship was exactly.

They had built some form of flimsy trust that served them for survival. Finch still refused to tell Clove where her knives were but the more time passed the more she wondered if she had misjudged her. Finch had thought them very different people, but maybe they weren't so different after all. Clove it seemed was sharp as one of her blades. Almost nothing slipped by her and Finch constantly caught Clove studying her closely. It made sense really, Finch thought. She wasn't like the Careers normally were. Sure she was good with knives but she didn't seem to have any other deadly skills and she was half the size of the normal Careers. She had to be sharp and perceptive, with a great survival instinct, to have made it this far in the Career world.

Just like Finch she seemed to watch the world through critical eyes, looking for advantages, disadvantages and threats in everything, and everyone. She had clearly found Finch in favour because not once did she try and kill her. Finch saw it as some form of trust, and gradually she began to return it.

They even shared a few awkward conversations over a quick, cold dinner. Mostly it consisted of Finch's natural curiosity for the other districts. She learnt that Clove had an older brother who was a Victor in his own games. She had lived with him in Victor's village since their father had been killed in a mining accident 5 years earlier. She didn't mention her mother. In return Finch told her about her three little sisters. She always found herself smiling as she described the quick, bright little birds that were her siblings. Thinking of them gave her some comfort. Once she thought she caught the flash of a smile from Clove as she described the way Imberly would climb every tree in the District.

One night Clove was on lookout and Finch was trying, and failing to get some sleep. The air had turned chill around them and she couldn't stop shivering. They had both discovered a little while ago that the most effective way to do lookout at night was to close your eyes. Without the distraction of sight their ears picked up even the slightest rustle in the leaves.

Finch rolled over and glanced across to where Clove was sitting against a tree, Finch's jacket lying discarded on the ground next to her. Heaving a sigh she crawled across to where Clove sat. At the sound of the movement Clove's eyes flicked open and she stared at Finch through the almost darkness.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," she murmured. "Just cold."

Clove flexed her arms out in front of her, stretching her stiff and cold limbs. "Here," Clove said, shifting over slightly so Finch could sit next to her against the tree. Finch was glad of the darkness because it hid her slight look of surprise. But she crawled forward, pulling the jacket around her shoulders as she did, and tucked herself in next to Clove. Almost instantly she could feel the benefits of their shared body heat. As she sat there listening to Clove breathe she thought how strange this was, to be huddling next to a Career. When she had been watching Clove at the training centre she never would have imagined this. But she liked it. She had been intrigued by the wall so clearly constructed around Clove and she was even more intrigued by the girl she was beginning to get glimpses of now. Because that was what Finch was realising. Yes she was a Career, but she was just a girl. Just like her. In fact, she was a whole year younger than Finch they had discovered. She was just a girl and she was human.

"Feeling better?" Clove's voice broke through her thoughts and she realised with a start that she had rested her head on Clove's shoulder, almost drifting off to sleep. She sat up slightly.

"A bit," she murmured, again glad of the darkness so Clove couldn't see her blush. She wondered what Clove would think of where her thoughts had been. She probably wouldn't like Finch's realisation that she was human, scared and vulnerable.

"Can't sleep?" Clove continued, shrugging slightly so that they were closer together. Finch wondered absently if she was offering her shoulder to her again. "What are you thinking about?"

"You," Finch muttered before she could stop herself. She felt Clove freeze slightly and wished she could take it back. "I- I just meant..." she tried but she couldn't think of how to explain it away.

"You know, I was thinking of you too," Clove said eventually. Finch glanced at her in surprise but she couldn't read her expression in the darkness.

"Why?"

"Because you're interesting." The answer was simple and honest. "You're like a wood nymph," Clove continued.

Finch sniffed with amusement. She had read about wood nymphs in a fairy book she found in the school of District 5. The connection amused her.

"You're interesting too," Finch murmured. Something about the night made Clove seem less scary. Her voice floating in the darkness sounded very small and fragile. Her warmth next to Finch's body was comforting.

She turned her head and realised too late that Clove had too. Their faces were an inch apart and she could feel Clove's breath on her lips. Her eyes were pure, unreadable black in the darkness.

"What are we doing?" Clove breathed and Finch felt a rush through her body as she realised Clove was held there too, by something neither of them could name. Finch moved forward the tiniest amount. "I don't know," she admitted, right before she closed the miniscule gap and pressed her lips to Clove's. She had never kissed anyone before, let alone a girl, but the warmth of Clove's skin against her own was intoxicating. Without thinking she pushed forward, pressing the length of her body against Clove's and felt with complete surprise her body respond, her hands lifting to grip at her waist.

They broke apart and stared at each other in the darkness, breathless and panting. Curiously Finch reached out a hand and touched her fingertips to Clove's cheek.

"Why are you crying?" she whispered as she felt the tears.

Clove blinked a few times. "I don't know," she admitted, and her voice was so sad that Finch compulsively leaned forwards and kissed her again. As she slid her hand under the edge of Clove's t shirt she half expected her to pull away, or hit her or something. She didn't know what was driving this crazy behaviour but she couldn't stop it. Maybe it was the darkness. Maybe it was the knowledge of her imminent death. But her fingertips skimmed over the warmth of Clove's stomach and she knew she didn't want to stop. She felt so _alive_ under her touch.

Clove gasped against her lips as Finch's hand trailed up her body, feeling the hard bumps of her ribs and brushing the soft skin of her stomach. Clove's hands were pulling tight on the fabric at Finch's waist, pulling her closer almost subconsciously. With a sudden, swift movement, Finch rose on her knees and straddled Clove's lap, leaning down to kiss her. She felt a burning deep inside her and with every touch of Clove's skin the fire swelled and threatened to consume her. She could feel Clove's fingers now, slipped under the fabric of her shirt and pressed against her back, pushing her closer. She could feel each cold fingertip as if her skin had turned hypersensitive and prickled all over with desire. She pressed her body against Clove's and felt her respond, pushing her hips up to meet her.

"That's not very Career," Finch breathed against Clove's lips, smiling slightly.

"Shut up," Clove murmured before silencing her with another kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE **

**CLOVE  
**

Somehow they had both fallen asleep, because she woke, still in darkness, and felt Finch's body tangled around hers. She wasn't cold any more. She lay there for a few moments, trying to figure out what exactly had happened. It was as if something in the darkness had possessed her. What the hell was she doing?

She went to move slightly, thinking she should slip out of the other girl's grasp before she fell asleep again, but the movement stirred Finch. Clove froze and met her eyes as she blinked sleepily at her. They didn't say anything for a long time. Clove knew the worry on her face would be readable, but all she could see in Finch's eyes was a subtle smile.

"Your knives are buried in the roots of the tall oak tree near where I found you," she murmured eventually. Without waiting for a reply she nuzzled her head into Clove's shoulder and promptly fell asleep again. Clove stared at the dark treetops for a few more moments. So she knew where her knives were. The plan had been to kill Finch as soon as she got that information. But she couldn't do it. She was probably going to die, and worse her entire District would know her for weak, because she knew she wasn't going to be able to kill the girl whose arms were wrapped around her now. Exhaustion took over and as she still stressed about that realisation eventually she fell asleep again.

She woke again with daylight bright behind her closed eyelids. The sound of a frightened gasp was what had woken her and her eyes flew open a second later. Cold terror flooded through her as she realised she was looking at the glinting metal of a sword, its tip held to Finch's throat. Dreading what she would see Clove's eyes followed the length of the sword and met Cato's furious gaze.

"What the hell is this?" he whispered in a dangerously quiet voice. She knew that tone and it filled her with terror. She glanced down to where the tip of the sword hovered over the skin of Finch's throat and saw that she was trembling with fright. They were both going to die.

"Get up," Cato said simply. Neither of them moved. "GET UP!" he bellowed, jabbing his sword forward so it drove into Clove's shoulder. It didn't break the skin but she flinched instinctively at the cold steel against her skin. In one quick movement Clove scrambled to her feet, pulling Finch with her. She knew she should push the girl away, pretend tough and maybe she could win Cato over. But even if she had wanted to, the iron grip Finch had on her arm wouldn't have let her abandon the girl.

"We've been looking for you," Cato said, his eyes boring into her. "And you've been here, cuddling up with your little friend?" He spat the words out at them contemptuously. Clove wondered what he thought they had been doing. Surely if he had guessed everything they would both be dead by now.

"I lost my knives Cato," she managed to say in an expressionless voice. It took every bit of control she had to stare back at him coldly. "What was I supposed to do? I needed an alliance to stay alive." She felt Finch's fingers withdraw slightly from her arm. She knew how this sound, exactly how she intended it to sound, and she knew how betrayed Finch would feel. But her survival instinct was the strongest thing in her and it was telling her that the only way to live was to convince Cato she had had no other choice. Cato glared at her for several moments like he was trying to read her.

"Come on Cato," complained a voice behind them and for the first time Clove noticed Marvel, lounging lazily against a tree. He looked bored. "Just kill the red head and let's get on with things. We were looking for Clove and we found her." He began to inspect the sharpness of his spear and yawned.

Cato appeared to ignore him, still glaring at Clove. Suddenly his eyes flicked to Finch and Clove felt her stomach drop. Finch's fingers tightened around her arm again, it must be pure reflex, as she felt the full fury of Cato's glare.

In a sudden movement that made Clove jump backwards in fright he lunged at them and grabbed Finch roughly, pulling her up next to him. She whimpered pathetically and he smirked with amusement. Clove stood frozen where she was, unable to move or say anything.

"Two birds with one stone hey?" Cato said, looking down at Finch who was staring at the ground and shrinking away from him. "We find our lost Career and gain a kill in one."

Marvel laughed and sauntered forwards. He nodded at Clove and sidled up to stand next to her. "So what have you been up to little one?" he teased with a grin. Clove's eyes were fixed on Finch and Cato. Finch flashed her a quick look, too quick for her to read anything other than fear in her large green eyes. She felt like she couldn't breathe. What could she do?

"Shut up Marvel," Clove muttered, giving him a rough shove with her elbow. The insult suddenly spurred her into life and she took a step towards Cato.

"Cato-" she began but he cut her off, raising his sword and glaring at her.

"Don't, Clove," he hissed and suddenly turned, striding away and dragging Finch with him.

Clove hurried after them. "Cato we can use her!" she insisted, finding her voice at last. He ignored her and marched forward, Finch barely managing to keep up with his strides so he was half dragging her.

"Marvel!" he bellowed without looking back and Clove felt Marvel's hands around her arms, pulling her back. His teasing grin and casual attitude had vanished.

"Let me go!" Clove shouted at him, trying to shake him off, but just like Cato he was nearly twice her size and much stronger. She tried to kick out at him and he just lifted her into the air. Over her own protests she heard one last frightened cry from Finch as she and Cato disappeared into the trees and out of sight. She stopped fighting Marvel. It was no use. What was she even fighting for? She was a Career, and everyone here was going to die eventually, why was she trying to save one tribute now? But she couldn't deny the tight pain that was spreading across her chest in the silence that followed. She barely even noticed Marvel's iron grip on her arms as she watched the tree line, waiting for the sound of death.

After about 10 minutes a canon shot rippled across the forest and she knew it was done. Marvel let her go almost instantly but she didn't run, she didn't even move. She stood still and waited till Cato returned, wiping blood from his sword, and not even bothering to look at her. She glared at him as he strode passed her and picked up her backpack of supplies. He chucked it at her roughly.

"Let's go," he ordered and marched out of the clearing, in the opposite direction. Marvel gave her a smirk and followed him, swiping out at the branches with his spear as they passed. Clove hovered a second, gathering her jacket. She looked at Finch's jacket sitting on the ground next to the tree where she had left it last night and ordered herself not to feel anything. Still, she picked it up and slung it over her pack, telling herself it would come in handy on a cold night. As she disappeared from the clearing she gave one last quick glance towards the trees. The sound of a hovercraft met her ears and she turned away and followed the boys.

**A/N: So...it looks like Finch is dead...doesn't it? Well then, how can there be 5 more chapters? You'll just have to wait and see...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: If you're reading, I'd love a review *hopeful eyes*  
**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**FINCH  
**

Her mind was blank with terror as he pulled her roughly through the trees. She couldn't consider what was about to happen to her and she couldn't consider the way Clove had so easily handed her life over. But of course, what else did she expect? Just because they had both lost their minds for one night didn't mean they suddenly weren't in the middle of a fight to the death and didn't mean that Clove was no longer a Career.

Involuntary tears were pouring down her cheeks as he pulled her to a stop. He shoved her in front of him and glared at her. She couldn't meet his eyes. He was terrifying.

"What are you playing at?" he hissed. She shook her head mutely and stared at the ground, wishing he would just get it over with. The rising sun glinted off his sword and she felt like it was signalling her impending death. "You thought you would live longer with her?" he sneered, clearly taking delight in prolonging the suspense. She flinched backwards as he leaned in close to her face. "Don't you know she's more killer than any of us?" he whispered cruelly. He lifted is sword almost leisurely and outlined a circle around her heart with its tip. She couldn't stop every limb from trembling as she felt the sharp tip of the sword pressing against her clothes. "You're lucky she didn't cut your little heart right out of your chest."

He laughed coldly and then fell silent, looking at her with his head to the side. He opened, his mouth, about to say something else when they were both distracted by a loud crashing to their right. Suddenly a boy was upon them, skidding to a halt and staring at Cato with terrified eyes. They all stood there for a moment, frozen with surprise, until Cato let out a roar and the boy tried to dart away. He was too slow though and Cato grabbed him by his jacket, pulling him backwards at the same time he drove his sword forward. Finch backed up in horror as she watched the sword plunge into the boy's chest, crimson blood pouring out over his body. He hadn't even screamed when blood began to choke his throat, spluttering from his mouth. Finch took one look at his wide, terrified eyes and suddenly felt a spurt of energy zip through her body. She didn't hesitate but turned and darted off through the trees, as fast as her legs would carry her. She heard Cato's shout behind her and the thud as he dropped the boy but she moved so fast she was far enough away that she didn't hear whether he followed her or not. Even when the air stabbed painfully at her lungs with every inhale she kept running, darting around trees and leaping over boulders.

It wasn't until she reached a sheer wall of rock that she stopped, leaning against it heavily and trying to catch her breath. Even completely breathless her eyes and ears were scanning the woods for any sound of pursuit. She waited, tensed, for long minutes, but there wasn't a sound of human life. Maybe she had lost him. Maybe he hadn't followed her at all.

She didn't understand Cato and she wouldn't want to second guess anything he did, but she waited and waited and no sign of human life met her senses. Feeling the exhaustion of her sprint she flopped down onto the ground, leaning against the rock wall. What did she do now? She had left all her supplies back at the clearing and she guessed the Careers had collected them up by now. Quickly she fumbled through her pockets, pulling out whatever she had managed to store there. From one pocket she withdrew a piece of string and some leaves she had found earlier. She had collected them because she remembered reading that they served well as bandages, and she had thought morbidly that that would come in handy sooner or later. From the other pocket she pulled a long, cold object and with a start realised it was Clove's knife, the one she had taken from her at the very start. She had almost forgotten she had the dainty little knife in her pocket. She slipped it out of its sheath and held it up to the light. It was tiny, tiny and deadly.

"Just like Clove," she muttered bitterly to no one in particular. She had no right to feel resentful towards Clove. She had just been ensuring her own survival, as everyone here was, but she couldn't help the little flicker of anger she felt every time she thought about her; a flicker of anger that was inexplicably entwined with a prickling sensation all over her skin.

"So what am I going to do with you?" she pondered aloud as she slipped the blade back into its sheath and shoved all the objects back into her pockets. It was hardly enough to survive on. Still, she would find a way. Or she would die. Simple as that.

She waited a whole day before she risked moving back towards the others. She knew she would have to eventually, to find some sort of food. There weren't a great number left now, she had lost track of how many exactly, but she didn't see any sign of life as she slipped her way through the forest. Instinctively she was headed for the Cornucopia. That was the heart of everything and if she was to find food it would be there.

Her heart was in her mouth as she crept up to the edge of the trees surrounding the clearing. She could see the Cornucopia gleaming in the sun, and before it a huge pile of boxes and crates. The Careers had stacked up all the supplies in a giant pyramid. Quickly her eyes scanned the grass and she spotted four small shapes among the equipment. She forced her eyes to keep going as she spotted Clove, easily identifiable as the smallest of the group. She was sitting a little distance away from Cato and Marvel, inspecting one of her knives by the looks of it. The District 3 boy, Oran, Finch thought his name was, was pacing back and forth. They would be difficult to get passed, but something was nagging at her. All four of them were here and awake at the moment, but surely they must have a better system of defence than that? Because some would have to hunt and some would have to sleep. She pushed the thought from her brain as soon as it entered, but she knew Clove would be smarter than that even if the boys weren't.

Her eyes scanned the ground and that's when it hit her. The mines. They had reburied the mines from the platforms in a pattern around the pyramid. It was pure genius. She wondered who had come up with it.

Quickly she scaled a nearby tree, edging out along a branch so that she could get a better view of the pattern of the mines. If she could leap there and there she could find a clear path to the pyramid. And then it looked like on the other side they had left a wide tunnel free, presumably so they could access the supplies. It was certainly doable, but she would have to wait until most of them had left. Just as she was edging backwards off the branch she noticed movement in the clearing. She froze and realised Clove had risen to her feet and seemed to be staring straight at her. There was no way she could see her though, not with the distance and the leaves. She had made sure she was hidden. She held her breath and waited to see if Clove would raise the alarm, but she just kept staring into the woods, at the spot where Finch was hidden. The sun, high in the sky, hurt her eyes. That was when it struck her, she was a complete idiot. Reaching up she ripped the stupid pin from her braid that the stylist had put there. It must have been catching the sunlight and reflecting, that was what had caught Clove's attention. She threw the pin to the ground and glanced back up. Clove gazed towards her for a few more moments before turning away, and walking over to Cato. Finch held her breath, fearful that she would see them start in her direction, but they just shared a few words and Clove wandered away again, picking her knife back up.

With a sigh she quickly scrambled down the tree and landed with a soft thump on the ground. Now she just had to wait for them to split up.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**FINCH  
**

Her limbs were just starting to bite with cold when she heard a shout from the Careers. Cato jumped up, pointing with his sword into the forest and Finch's eyes followed where he was pointing to see the thinnest plume of smoke curling between the trees. Either someone was very stupid or trying to set a trap.

"Don't fall for it," she muttered under her breath as she glanced back at the Careers, then she had to give herself a sharp pinch. What was she saying? She wanted, needed, them to fall for it. It was the perfect opportunity she had been waiting for. As she watched they gathered their weapons, all except the boy from 3, and took off through the trees. Cato and Marvel were whooping and shouting. They feared no one in this Arena. Finch eyed the dark haired boy from 3, assessing his size and skill. He wasn't the strongest, to be with the Career pack, which much have meant he was responsible for rearranging the mines.

She watched him take a seat on a crate and begin to inspect a knife. She hoped it wasn't Clove's. He'd be sorry if it was. She had to give herself another pinch to snap out of it.

"Focus," she ordered herself. She had a task to do.

She waited until he was absorbed in his blade, not looking at all in her direction, and took off through the trees. It was dangerous, she would be out on the open and completely exposed, but she needed food. Picturing the pattern of the mines in her head she darted quickly around them, zipping with amazing agility around the mounds and skidded to a stop at the pyramid of supplies. She didn't have time to pick and choose so she grabbed the nearest food bag she saw. She was just about to take off again when she her eye fell on a dark piece f fabric. It was her jacket. Someone had laid it down in the supplies. The sleeves were folded in neatly. It looked presented. She glanced around her wildly, worried that she herself had fallen into a trap, but no one emerged from the trees. It only took her a second to decide to take the jacket. She stuffed it into her arms along with the food and took off back towards the safety of the trees. She sensed the boy's movement and knew he had seen her but she just ran as fast as she could. She didn't think he had any weapon skills so if she could make it to the cover of the trees she might be alright.

Just as she got to the first little ridge over the tree line an ear-splitting explosion rocked the air. She screamed, she couldn't help herself, and jumped to the ground, flattening herself instinctively. The explosion seemed to echo around the woods for ages, and when it had died down pure silence filled the air. Not even the birds were singing. Knowing it was a bad idea but unable to help herself she slipped through the trees back towards the clearing. It had been the supplies. They lay in charred and scattered remains around the clearing, some of them still burning. The poor boy from District 3 stood in the middle, spinning wildly. Even from this distance she could see the panic in his movements. He had good reason to be scared. Just as she watched two figures burst from the trees and Cato and Clove sprinted towards him. Cato was livid. While Clove just stood and looked at the remains of their supplies Cato was bellowing at the poor boy, who shrunk away from him as if that could save him. Finch covered her mouth with a hand to prevent her startled scream as Cato reached out and in one quick movement snapped the boy's neck. He crumpled to the ground, dead. She shouldn't feel as sick as she did, it was a relatively nice death for the arena, quick and painless.

Her eyes slipped passed Cato to where Clove was studying the burning remain. She knelt down in front of crate and ran her finger over the box, before glancing up into the surrounding trees. Slowly her eyes scanned the tree line and paused near where Finch was crouched. She didn't run, she couldn't possible see her, but it sent a shiver down her spine that she was so fixed on this spot. It was the second time that she had seemed to 'see' Finch through the forest. She stayed perfectly still, knowing that if anything were to give her away it would be movement, and so she saw Clove frown, as if she was trying to work something out.

The connection between them was broken as Cato marched over and stood in front of Clove, blocking her from Finch's view. With one quick movement she sprang to her feet and took off through the trees. She had some food, and just in time it seemed, and she would simply shelter down somewhere nearish the lake so she could get water. She would hide and she would wait.

**CLOVE  
**

Cato ranted for ages, furious about their supplies. He went over and over who it could have been who blew them up. He would round on Clove and demand her opinion, his eyes blazing. She shrugged. In the back of her mind a voice was telling her that wit like it took to figure out their mines and to blow them up was something she would attribute to Finch. But it couldn't be her, she was dead.

"Fire girl probably," she muttered, and that sent Cato off on another furious rant. Several small saplings were sacrificed to his fury as she slashed his sword through the trees.

Marvel never returned from his stake out of the little girl from 11 that they had captured and when they heard a canon fire they simply looked at each other expressionlessly. They had been going to break the alliance soon anyway, this just saved them the effort of killing him.

Cato hadn't forgiven Clove for what he saw as her failure to find them after the tracker jacker attack. He never mentioned it, so she didn't know what he truly knew or thought, but she could see it in his behaviour and the way he spoke to her. He resented that they had been looking for her while she had been making another 'alliance'. Her protests that it was purely for survival till she found him again didn't appease him.

She was sitting on a log cleaning her knives when the announcement from the Game Makers echoed through the woods. She had found all the blades hidden exactly where Finch said they'd be. She hadn't given Cato any explanation when she had wandered off into the woods and returned with her bounty of weapons. He had simply eyed the dirty blades and told her she better take better care of them.

A few minutes after the voice had faded from the air Cato emerged from the tree. He looked at her and shrugged. "Wanna go home?" he asked, almost conversationally. Clove didn't look up at him. Was he saying that he wouldn't kill her? She had heard the announcement but she couldn't say it had made any different to her thinking. They had been conditioned to assume their district partner would die if they went home, just because the rule changed didn't make that any different. But he seemed to actually be suggesting they use it, not what she would have expected from Cato.

"Sure," she said simply, determined not to show her confusion at his change in attitude.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

**CLOVE  
**

Cato didn't protest at all when Clove said she was determined to go to the Feast. She had expected to fight him for it, but he seemed distracted.

"Fine," he said shortly. "I'll go hunting." He looked off into the woods and Clove had to stop herself from pressing it further, he clearly had something on his mind.

She arrived early at the edge of the field, hoping that she would be able to catch a few tributes sneaking to the Feast. There weren't many of them left, she'd lost count how many exactly, but if she could knock a few off now they were one step closer. She just wanted to get out of here now. It had been fun, but since she had watched Cato drag Finch off into the trees and heard her canon fire she couldn't get rid of the heavy, sick feeling in her stomach. If she didn't know better she would have said it was guilt.

For hours she sat perfectly still on the edge of the trees, simply watching the forest for any sign of movement. The cold was starting to get to her when she heard a twig snap somewhere behind her. Her head whipped around but there was no sign of movement. One of her knives slowly slid from its sheath into her hand and she tensed her muscles.

Suddenly someone sprang from the bushed to her left. They hadn't seen her and as quick as lightning she pounced, bringing them both crashing to the ground. The person let out a frightened squeal but it wasn't until she had the knife pressed to her throat that Clove recognised the terrified green eyes staring back at her.

The knife slipped from her fingers and fell to the forest floor. "Finch?" she gasped, convinced this was some torment of the Game Makers. Did they have the ability to create ghosts? "You're dead," she stated dumbly.

Finch stared back at her warily. Her hair was in even more disarray than it had been before and long strands of fiery red fell over her face, fluttering with each panicked breath. "Just get it over with," she breathed eventually. "Kill me."

Clove's mind was still stuck on ghosts and it took a while for the words to find their way through the fog of confusion. When they did though she gasped with the realisation that Finch was real, real and alive and waiting for Clove to kill her. She closed her eyes as if she didn't want to see her death coming.

A dozen tributes could have dashed into the clearing for all Clove noticed anything around them as she processed that Cato hadn't killed Finch. She still didn't understand how she was alive but the weight in her stomach was suddenly lifted and something close to happiness actually flooded through her. Without even thinking what she was doing she leaned forward and in a rush pressed her lips to Finch's. She felt Finch's surprise, almost as much as Clove's own at her actions.

"You're alive!" she gasped eventually, pulling away. Finch had a look of complete shock on her face and struggled up, resting on her elbows and staring at Clove.

"You're insane," was all she could think of as a reply. She truly was. Her eyes were gleaming manically and she looked truly insane. The laughter that bubbled from Clove made her even more sure of this. She didn't seem someone who laughed naturally and the noise sounded strange. Suddenly Clove's expression fell as she remembered the guilt and her reason for it. She wouldn't apologise, she would do it again, but it didn't change the fact that she felt awful about standing by as Cato supposedly killed Finch.

"I tried to stop him," she muttered eventually, not meeting Finch's eyes. It was a pathetic explanation and she knew it but what else could she say? Finch confused her, made everything complicated in what should have been a simple fight to the death. She didn't know why she had wanted to keep her alive, and then why she had felt sad when she thought she was dead, and now felt exuberant at the knowledge that she was alive. It went against everything she knew, of herself, of the world, but it was there.

"Are you here for the Feast?" Finch asked eventually, finally pulling herself into a sitting position. It was difficult because Clove was basically sitting on her, straddling her legs from when she had tried to pin her down. Clove nodded mutely, the memory of why she was there flooding her mind. And suddenly all at once t fell into place. That was why Cato had been so willing to let her go. He had been going hunting, for Finch. He knew she wasn't dead and he had kept it from her, probably hoping to finish her off while Clove was at the Feast. The thought made her blood go cold.

"Did you blow up our supplies?" Clove asked, looking at her intently, her memory sparked by the train of her thoughts. Finch shook her head.

"I saw it though. I thought you'd seen me...you looked right at me, twice."

Clove's eyes widened. "The light in the tree...that was you?" Finch nodded.

They sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the birds hopping around in the trees. They still had about an hour till the Feast so they found a little alcove in one of the massive tree trunks and tucked themselves there, out of sight. Clove grinned as she realised Finch was wearing her jacket again and realised she must have taken it from the supplies before they exploded.

"How do you think this is going to end?" she asked suddenly. Finch looked at her like it was a stupid question. Well, it probably was.

"I'm going to die. Everyone's going to die, except one," she said in an expressionless voice but Clove could feel a quick shiver run through her body where they were pressed close together.

"Maybe two..." she muttered, looking out across the forest.

"Right," Finch said, remembering the announcement. "So you're going home, with Cato?"

Clove didn't answer. She wished she hadn't started this conversation. Now that she knew Finch was alive again she hated listening to her talk about her own death with such calmness. Clove knew there was no choice but death but she didn't want to think about it. As if to change the topic she turned suddenly and kissed Finch again. She didn't react so surprised this time, her hands flew up and cupped Clove' face, pulling her closer. There wasn't much room in the little nook they were curled in but it didn't matter. Clove twisted so her entire body was pressed up against Finch and she could feel the warmth of her body through her clothes. It was comforting to feel someone else alive in this cold and dead arena. She'd never really hugged anyone before Finch, let alone anything like this. It just wasn't what she did. The closest she had ever been to anyone, even her family, was when she had pinned someone down during a fight. And usually all she could feel then was the adrenaline pumping through her system and the giddy delight that came from absolute control. But this was a different kind of giddy delight.

Her hands were pressed against Finch's ribs, slipped under her shirt, when they both heard the siren sound that signalled the start of the Feast. Reluctantly they broke apart and looked towards the clearing.

"What are you hoping for?" Clove asked quietly, tilting her head down slightly so her forehead met Finch's. She didn't reply for a few minutes.

"There'll be food in my bag at the Feast...but that's not what I'm hoping for," she muttered eventually. Clove wanted to press it further, question what she meant, but suddenly Finch wriggled free, and climbed out of the space. She stretched her limbs as she stood and crouched, picking up her backpack. "I'll go get mine now...promise you won't attack me?" she said with a mischievous smile. Clove didn't smile back. She remembered now the reason she was here was to kill. It had been so easy to forget for a while.

"I said once before that I won't kill you...and I don't lie," Clove said seriously, leaning down a picking up her own belongings. "I'm here to kill Fire Girl mainly, anyway." She tried to ignore the way Finch winced as she so openly and coldly talked about killing. What did she expect? She was a Career, it was what she did.

She lifted her eyes to Finch's. "Cato's out looking for you," she said quietly and she knew Finch understood her silent 'be careful' in the statement because she answered, "You be careful too."

She stepped towards her quickly and once more she felt Finch's lips pressed to hers and reached out to weave her fingers in her hair, but she was already gone. Finch pulled away and without another word took off into the clearing. Clove watched her run, darting through the grass like a gazelle, and silently hoped that Cato wouldn't find her.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. They're really encouraging. I would say hope you enjoy the chapter, but if I've written it well you won't enjoy it at all. -Lu  
**

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**FINCH  
**

There was no sign of any other life as Finch darted around the side of the Cornucopia. She could see the bags there lined up but she ignored them all except the one marked five. She didn't even slow as she reached out and grabbed it, taking off for the other side of the clearing. Just as she reached the cover of the trees she heard Clove shout, and someone else, Katniss maybe. She stopped, leaning against a tree and trying to catch her breath. She wasn't sure she wanted to watch Clove kill someone but she couldn't just leave. She needed to know who was left. She saw the two girls wrestling each other, almost obscured by the grass. Glancing around her quickly she spotted a tree and scaled it so she could see better. By the time she was balanced on the branch Clove had Katniss pinned underneath her, much like she had had Finch only hours ago. From the glint of sunlight off a blade that Finch saw, she guessed it wasn't going to end the same way her attack had. She didn't even realise she was holding her breath as she watched the two. She couldn't hear what was being said but Clove seemed to be drawing it out.

"Just do it!" she whispered and then felt shock at her own bloodthirstiness. What had these games done to her? She was sitting here watching someone get killed. She was no better than the sick Capitol. Suddenly a dark figure loping through the grass towards them caught her attention. It was that boy from Eleven, Thresh perhaps? She had tried to remember all of the tributes names but it was hard.

She glanced back at Clove and Katniss. Neither of them had seen him yet. She watched, hoping he was just going to get his bag and run. He looked like he was but suddenly his head whipped around and he started towards the two girls.

"Oh no," Finch muttered under her breath. She had no idea what was going on but everything in her body was telling her it wasn't going to be good. Dread flooded through her as he watched the boy tower over Clove and Katniss on the ground. They still hadn't noticed him. In one movement he lifted Clove off Katniss. Finch heard her scream of surprise as he shook her roughly and tossed her back onto the ground. Finch was frozen in place. She should move, do something, run...a million thoughts were zipping through her mind but she was frozen in place helplessly watching events unfold before her. She could hear Thresh shouting now but his words weren't clear to her, though the anger more than was. Clove was trying to crawl away from him but she didn't have a hope and suddenly Finch's entire body stung with a terrified scream that ripped through the field. It was the same scream she had heard in the woods, right before she had found Clove, and she knew that something was about to go wrong. Clove screamed again, the noise turning into Cato's name and Finch heard a distant reply...very distant...too distant. The fear in Clove's voice hurt her. It made a sharp pain stab somewhere in her chest but she still couldn't move. In horror she watched as Thresh brought a rock down against Clove's head. That was it. She couldn't survive that. She must be dead.

This wasn't right. Finch was the one who was supposed to die and Cato and Clove were going to go home. Finch had accepted her fate. This wasn't right.

As she watched Thresh dropped the rock. She couldn't possibly hear it but in her mind it made a sickening thud against the ground. He spoke quickly to Katniss, who was on the ground staring at him in shock and then glanced once more at Clove before sprinting away towards the lake. Katniss didn't hesitate. She grabbed her bag and took off, disappearing into the trees somewhere to Finch's left. No one was left in the field except Clove, but a canon hadn't fired yet. Maybe she wasn't dead. The idea flickered within her like hope and Finch scrambled down the tree, scraping her hands and knees on the bark as she did. Oblivious to the stinging pain she landed on the ground on all fours. Just as she was about to dash into the grass she saw Cato burst from the trees and run up to Clove. She froze and watched. There was no way in hell she was going to go anywhere near him.

He was speaking to her, so she must still be alive. Maybe it hadn't been as bad as she thought. But even from here she could read the pained expression on his face. She never thought she'd see such emotion on Cato's face. It surprised her, considering how he had acted around Clove before, but then again she didn't really know anything about him and she realised she had never asked Clove about their relationship. As she watched she guessed she had been right in thinking there was something more between them than simply district partners. But she wasn't sure what.

She hid in the tall grass at the edge of the field as Cato stood up, his shoulders bowed. His sword by his side and he shook his head, answering something. Then he glanced into the trees before looking back at Clove. He seemed to hover for a second, staring at her, before he spun and sprinted away into the trees. But the canon still hadn't fired.

Finch didn't understand what was going on but all she could see was that Clove was still lying in the field and she wasn't dead. Knowing she might live, or rather die, to regret the decision she darted out from the shrubs and dashed across the grass as fast as her legs would carry her. Her eyes and ears remained tuned for any sign of Cato's return but there was no movement. She slowed as she neared Clove and stopped, dropping to her knees. Her eyes met Clove's, which stared back at her vacantly, looking straight through her. The pain that was wrapping itself like a tightening band around her chest was getting worse as she picked up one of her hands. "Clove?" she whispered uncertainly.

Something in her eyes flickered and she seemed to focus on Finch for the first time. Finch felt her fingertips move slightly in her hand. Tears were welling up in the back of her throat and even if she'd known what to say she wouldn't have been able to speak. She wanted to ease the scared look in Clove's eyes but she didn't know what to do. She just held her gaze, not sure if Clove could even see her any more, not even sure she was still breathing. The sound of a canon boomed around her and she knew. She sniffed and rubbed at her nose, but she wasn't crying. Gently she leant forward as closed Clove's eyelids. Then she climbed stiffly to her feet and began to run, running away. As she got closer to the trees she picked up speed till she was sprinting flat out. She ran through the forest until her lungs were burning and her heart had a reason to be hurting.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here is the final chapter my lovelies. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I also highly recommend you check out my favourite Clove/Foxface fic 'Borrow, Blood and Steel' (s/7987610/) seeing as it is amazing and actually the fic which inspired this one.  
**

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**FINCH  
**

She had the food from the Feast but she didn't really feel like eating it any more. Death seemed to be everywhere. She had watched the unknown boy die by Cato's sword, when she should have been the one to die, but somehow Clove's death felt different. _Unfair_. The word sprang to her mind but it was ridiculous. All these deaths were unfair. Not a single person in this Arena deserved to die. _But I didn't get to say goodbye_. The words wouldn't stop slipping into her mind. She heard the canon and knew Cato must have gotten Thresh. Of course he would. Someone like Cato wouldn't let anyone kill his district partner without seeking revenge. From what she'd seen it would be like anyone touching his sword. Clove was his and no one touched his things.

She waited anxiously for the next move. She had no desire to find any of the others. Her strategy was still to hide, it had worked very well so far, for the most part. But she knew that sooner or later either she was going to run into someone, or Cato was going to find her.

Both of those things happened almost at the same time. She was slipping through the trees looking for fresh water when she heard the noise of someone crunching about ahead of her. She froze but she knew it wasn't Cato. Even though he was big, he moved with more stealth than this person was. It had to be Peeta. He was the only one left who would move like that she thought. She didn't consider him a threat but she still stayed perfectly silent as she crept up until she could see him moving about in the woods. He was collecting berries, placing them on a blanket on the ground. There was no sign of Katniss. Finch went to turn away when she caught a closer look of the berries on the ground. They were Nightlock. And it would kill you. She glanced at him, wondering if she should tell him. It was a conflicting emotion. She didn't like the idea of simply letting him die, even if it wasn't her fault, but there were only a few of them left now. It was probably his life or hers. As she stood there thinking it over she realised she didn't actually mind that. Her eyes lingered on the berries and thoughts slowly began to form in her mind.

She didn't want to die, but she was going to. There was no way she could beat Cato if it came down to the two of them, and she couldn't hide forever. The Game Makers would see to that. They wanted sport and they would push her till they got it. So if death was inevitable...the question was _how_ did she want to die? In her mind there had only been one option before- at the end of Cato's sword. Just like she had watched that other boy die; with her own blood choking her throat and stealing her last breath and his gloating eyes the last thing she saw. But now the Nightlock sitting before her seemed to be offering another option. A quick and painless death. She had lived her entire life by logic, and logic was telling her to take those berries.

She waited until Peeta disappeared through the trees and then crept up to the blanket. She picked up a few of the berries in her hand and looked at them. They almost looked inviting.

A noise behind her made her spin around. She half expected to see a startled Peeta staring back at her but to her horror it was Cato's cold, brilliant blue eyes she met. His sword swung in his right hand, seemingly waiting to slice into her.

He took a step towards her and she was frozen. She couldn't run. She couldn't fight. She was going to make it incredibly easy for him to kill her.

"I'd thought of a very interesting way to kill you little Fox," Cato said almost conversationally, inspecting the tip of his sword. Finch felt her blood go cold. He was going to torture her. But then he looked up at her and she saw his eyes had softened. "But Clove made me promise to kill you quick, quick and painless, right before she...died." Despite the shadow of death next to her Finch's curiosity spiked at the sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry she died," Finch whispered and received an intense, studying look from Cato, like he was trying to decide if she really meant it. She did. More than he knew.

"I promised her," he said simply, holding the sword before him. Finch eyed it but she didn't feel terror any more. Death had always been coming. It was pain and suffering she had been scared of she realised now. She had actually resigned herself to death a long time ago, she just hadn't known it.

"Please," she said, holding her hand out before her and uncurling her fingers to reveal the berries sitting in her palm. "Let me do it this way." She wouldn't tell him that she had planned to take them even before he had shown up. He looked at the berries critically, but she saw in his eyes that he knew what they were. He nodded once, not meeting her eyes, and lowered his sword.

She didn't hesitate. There was no point prolonging it, it wouldn't change anything, and she was strangely calm anyway. She wanted it this way. She wanted this.

The berries tasted tart on her tongue and left a bitter taste as she swallowed them down. She lowered her hand, looking at the blue stains, almost like blood, on her fingertips. She looked up at Cato but he was gone. He might as well have been a ghost, because now only the wind stirred in the forest around her. Slowly, feeling heaviness start to seep into her limbs, she lay down on the ground and rested her head back against the soft leaves covering the forest floor. She stared up at the rippling emerald leaves above her and felt a slight breeze begin to brush across her skin. She turned her head to the side and saw Clove sitting on the ground next to her. She was brushing her fingertips over the skin of Finch's arm, what she thought had been the breeze.

"Hi," Clove said, giving her a rare smile.

Finch smiled back. "Hi."


End file.
